Little Cups of Tranquility
by Monochrome Playground
Summary: "Time sure flies huh?" He chuckled, the deep rumble was a lot to handle. His voice had gotten deeper since then, his slicked-back hair suited him and his eyes held a new gentleness. "I heard you managed to open this place from Kayano. Never had the chance to come and see it myself up until now though." (Karma/OC, Coffee Shop AU, Other AUs, Post Timeskip)
1. Chapter 1

The intense aroma of coffee, the hiss of a boiling kettle, the sounds of rain hitting the glass. The shop was something out of a book. Tall green plants in large clay pots sat in each corner, tables and chairs made with mahogany were placed sporadically along the vinyl flooring. The counter was made of marble and covered in small platters; on display today were a selection of lemon cupcakes, a large carrot cake in sixteen equally portioned slices (four of which had been taken from the original 20), mini strawberry shortcakes and flapjacks, all caged under glass dishes with little flags with hand-written katakana and the English names for each treat protruding from the inner layers.

The barista hummed; she was a young woman, no older than twenty-five, her dark brown hair was tied into a loose braid, her pale skin was dotted with soft freckles, and her eyes, honey-colored, glittered with scattered golden specks. Her soft, pink lips set into a peaceful smile as she worked. Another day in the tranquil store she'd owned for a good few years. It was quiet, those within all having hushed conversations or keeping to themselves, the atmosphere was nice, she'd much rather ease into the day than start it off in a hurry. She spent a lot of her time in the decent-sized space, serving, making coffee, decorated frothed milk with little patterns made of cocoa powder. It had a unique simplicity that she absolutely adored.

"Megaru, your coffee always tastes so good." The compliment made her smile. She turned to face the elderly woman, her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, graying at the roots, her face was round and wrinkled, with brown eyes hidden by round glasses, she was small in size and dressed in cashmere and silk. "Never too bitter, never too sweet, always just perfect."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Kobayashi, it means a lot to me." Megaru Yamaguchi scratched her cheek, she was always one to be a little bashful when complimented. She was even more so when the customer, Mrs. Kobayashi, reached into her purse and pulled out a couple of notes, ten thousand yen in total. Megaru blushed.

"Treat yourself." The wealthy elder insisted.

"M-Mrs. Kobayashi, I can't..." Her modesty was her own weakness, she shook her head, awfully hesitant even when the notes were put into her palm. The lady didn't seem to want to take no for an answer, closing Megaru's hand around the money, she cracked another smile.

"You deserve it, your mother would be so proud of the woman you've grown into."

A look of sympathy and pride shone in the elder's eyes.

Megaru had only been a child when her mother died, it had always been her dream to open a small coffee shop. That's what had led her to open her own. This caring old woman had once been her mother's carer, thus making her extended family in her eyes.

"I... thank you, Mrs. Kobayashi... you always believed in me."

The woman gave a nod, watching Megaru put the money into the pocket of her apron before she walked away.

She sighed, a little overwhelmed. Her work was her passion, nothing by her trying to put some love into dreary mornings of the public. That had worked so far, that was payment enough for her.

Shaking her head the young woman returned to prepping and portioning ingredients, she often planned what she'd have out on display ahead of time, tomorrow there'd be apple pie and Bakewell tarts her stepmother used to make, maybe some mochi too. The fun she'd have baking and making all these treats always kept her motivated.

She had been surprised how quickly revenue had come around when she first opened this place, of course at first it was difficult, but she was younger then, now she knew what she was doing, and keeping on top of it was becoming easier, even if the stress of numbers were there. Math had always been her least favorite subject in school.

Megaru rolled her shoulders back, muttering something to herself to remember before she heard the doorbell chime.

Time seemed to halt merely for a moment. A sudden intoxicating feeling of familiarity coaxed her into taking action.

Looking up might've been a bad idea, she was suddenly met with a thousand memories, ones she barely remembered up until now. Perhaps it was the hair… No- the eyes. Megaru swallowed, watching the tall red-haired young man walk in, closing his umbrella and leaving it in the small basket of similar items at the door, one she had received from her father. Oh, she knew him quite well, although she hadn't seen him in seven years... He hadn't actually changed much, grown more handsome, yes, and certainly taller. But even if she had unintentionally repressed the memories of her school days she could never forget the alluring eyes that had once kept her up at night. Ah. That feeling suddenly got worse in her chest.

"Akabane Karma." She greeted pleasantly when he reached the counter. She wasn't sure he even remembered her, the greeting was a spur of the moment thing, but he grinned. _Grinned_ and reached to pat her head. The simple touched alone was making it hard for her to keep her composure, she managed to keep her face from appearing too red, even with the rising warmth under her skin.

"Megaru, it's a while."

Dammit…

Closing time came quicker than it had before. Megaru found herself still a little shaken from seeing her old friend and childhood crush. She took off her apron, rummaging through the pocket, pulling out the ten thousand yen and the note Karma had given her. She looked at the bills, "Guess I'm having yakisoba tonight." She nearly drooled at the thought, despite her background of wealth she chose to let her relative take on the family business, her life style was pretty normal now, no insanely expensive luxuries, no outrageous spending, it was a nice peaceful life.

She picked up her bag from the office, locking up and beginning her journey home, Tokyo was a beautiful city to live in, she adored it. With its alluring pleasantries and unseen perils, it truly was a place for those who sought adventure, yet it wouldn't disappoint those who wished for comfort.

As she strolled she thought back on the conversation she'd had with her former classmate that morning. It still felt a little unreal, like a movie. Like someone behind the scenes was manipulating her normally peaceful days.

" _It's been too long, I haven't seen you since graduation." Megaru smiled, dusting off her apron, the stitching spelled out her mother's motto in kanji, "Don't give in even if hope seems beyond your reach", it was stained with cake batter and icing but it was her good luck token._

" _Time sure flies huh?" He chuckled, the deep rumble was a lot to handle. His voice had gotten deeper since then, his slicked-back hair suited him and his eyes held a new gentleness. "I heard you managed to open this place from Kayano. Never had the chance to come and see it myself up until now though."_

" _Ah... yeah, after high school my father gave me some money to open it up." She explained._

" _It's nice," Karma sent her a smile. "Hm... In fact, I think I'll have black coffee and one strawberry shortcake."_

" _Strawberry shortcake, you always did love strawberries didn't you?"_

 _The thought brought back memories of lunch times, when they spent afternoons out in the open, the scent of strawberry milk and trouble on his breath as he commented on the reasons he was suspended. She had been a new student that year, sent down from Class D after a failure to complete her homework over the course of the month._

 _She would listen with a child-like curiosity. Her background and upbringing made his exploits sound like a manga, even if it were things as simple as sticking up for someone._

 _Megaru hadn't even noticed she was smiling._

" _So, Karma, how's it been, last time I saw you, you were the Class 3-E's designated troublemaker." She almost giggled. She had always found herself enamored by the mischiefs of her older classmate._

It felt odd, with Kayano she's been a lot more awkward, but speaking to Karma again just felt right. It brought color to her cheeks, seven years had passed since graduation, she had grown, gone her separate ways and she had wondered when she'd see her friends again, but that soft warmth of friendship she felt was a lot different. It wasn't a warmth exactly, more like a longing. It was true she may have had feelings for him back then, an uncanny resemblance to those cliché "good girl likes bad boy" scenarios she saw in movies, but Megaru Yamaguchi had assumed they would fade when she lacked the courage to ruin the bond she had with her best friend. _Liking_ Karma Akabane seemed like something that could only work in the head of her adolescent junior-high self.

She fiddled with her bag strap, her long woolen sweater kept the cold out, although it was still pretty early, the sun still remained partially in the sky. She found herself nibbling on her nail, she wondered why she felt this way, the knowledge of the note in her back pocket made her feeling even lighter headed.

" _Don't open it until you get home!"_

She really wanted to know what was in it… She could just open it right now. Open it. Right now. Now.

She sighed loudly, she couldn't gosh she hated that about herself. Megaru huffed, hurrying on down the street, her apartment wasn't too far away from the shop. Three blocks at most, she liked being healthy and walking. She also liked the concept of throwing her pride away to just take a peek inside and read the stupid note. She wouldn't and that's that. She could live, it would take twenty minutes at most to get home at the pace she was walking.

Perhaps.

Maybe.

"Why is this so hard?" She muttered to herself, her hand momentarily hovering over the pocket, she made a rather inhumane noise. All that time she spent questioning herself, arguing and panicking over a note she hadn't noticed her apartment building.

"Wow. I impress myself sometimes..." She fished around in her bag for her keys, sliding into the building and quietly shutting the loud door.

The spacious abode was dimly lit from the evening sun, the curtains, thin and silky, were open, letting the natural light. Megaru sighed, taking a step into her home, it took a moment of standing in silence before she frantically closed her door and nearly dove onto her couch. She took out the note, her fingers running gently over the edges of the paper. She unfolded it slowly, nibbling her lip as if something would jump out at her.

"What…?"

A phone number, written in Karma's neat handwriting, his phone number and a little picture of a devil.

Part of her felt a little underwhelmed, this was the king of pranks and trouble, part of her knew he'd probably set some of that quirk aside, life moved too fast to stay stuck in the past, the phone number meant she'd be able to speak to him again, although she wouldn't know what to say, she doubted she'd be that interesting to speak to, or would have anything to talk about, but she smiled.

The strange warmth was back.


	2. Chapter 2

A quiet morning in March, the rain had left the air clear and fresh. Remnants of the weather glittered as sunlight caught the scattered droplets of water, coating the windows in a sparkling veil. The thin curtains let in the natural rays through the parting where the two pieces of fabric met and bird songs travelled through the air, carrying their soft melodies into the ears of the sleeping woman. Her crown of brown hair shone with health, delicate strands fell from over her shoulder, sliding along her milky skin and catching on the corner of her pink lips; she remained still, peacefully indulging in the last fleeting moments of the night, in the realm of her unconscious mind, where her dreams lulled her into sleepy smiles and noises of contentment.

She awoke only once the shrill scream of her alarm clock stirred whatever pleasantries were keeping her blissfully asleep prior. The world of her sleeping cognition shattered quicker than glass. Megaru let out a yawn, quiet and only containing a slight fraction of the annoyance she felt. Her arm outstretched, reaching for the phone on the bedside table to silence the shrieking menace with the swipe of a finger. She forgot to turn the alarm off, it was March 27th after all, the day she took off every year to go and visit her mother's grave. She didn't need to get up so early, but she always seemed to forget that.

With a soft sigh, the young shopkeeper pulled herself out of bed, her toes curling around the fluffy carpet for a moment before she strolled into the kitchen, the phone in her hand warmed her palm and sleepily she set about making herself a cup of coffee. Dazed, she stood for a moment staring at the kettle as it began to boil water, her mind lazily whirring with mental notes on what needed to be done today. Her routine would still stay relatively similar to a normal day even if this was her day off, after visiting her mother's grave she'd return home and bake until her hands smelt like bread and she could taste sugar in every corner of her mouth. Samples she'd then fuss over until they were just right, testing out uniquely specific recipes to get the taste she wanted her customers to love, she'd write down any quirks in the process so she would remember tomorrow morning when she made the very same treats again for sale. This was usually what happened, every night for the past few years, sometimes she'd invite Kayano for tea and they'd spend evenings chatting and eating cake and drinking various teas Rio Nakamura, another friend from school, brought back from her foreign exploits.

She liked her fairly simple life, it was one of peace, and never did she ever feel the burden of stress, her friends and customers made all her hard work worthwhile. That thought alone made her smile, although she wouldn't leave her daze until the device in her palm vibrated, and her ringtone began to play, muffled in her hand. Megaru blinked, not looking at the caller id as she answered and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Her voice soft and tired, the brunette spoke gently into the speaker, taking small steps as she heard the click of the kettle and the whistling of steam.

"Morning, Megaru." The voice on the other end purred, a layer of pink coating the woman's cheeks as she got a mug out from a cupboard overhead.

"K-Karma... good morning," She'd briefly forgotten the exchange they had last night over the phone when she'd texted the number he'd left on the note. The messages regarding them talking the next day were something she remembered a little clearer now, but she hadn't expected him to call so early.

"I didn't wake you did I?" He asked, he seemed a little more awake than she was, but the deep rumble in his voice told her he must've been pretty tired. It was quite endearing, in a strange way, she found only lead to her face going red the more she thought about it.

"No- no, you sound pretty exhausted yourself, did you get enough sleep last night?"

A hum, the pause in the conversation was filled with the sounds of coffee granules, water, and sugar all being shoved into a novelty mug she'd been bought as a child.

"I slept okay, who knows, I might've been up all night excited to hear your voice again."

Megaru dropped her spoon and with a clatter it landed on the countertop, "w-what?" She almost squeaked, her face warming further as she listened to him chuckle on the other end.

"I was kidding."

"R-right..."

The sound died down after a moment, but the silence only felt awkward on her end.

"So, do you have work today?" He shifted around on the other line, probably getting up to begin his day as she had prior to the call.

"Uh, no..." Megaru only hoped the dip in her tone would go unnoticed. But Karma had always been a lot sharper than she had.

"You wanna go out for lunch?"

She hesitated to answer.

The thought was nice and she would've ended back at home regardless, but she had things she needed to do…

Another moment of silence passed.

"Megar-"

"Yeah! Sure, I love y—I mean I'd love too," she blurted out, laughing sheepishly, and gripping the handle of her coffee mug as she silently damned herself for slipping up like that. Especially since she wasn't even sure if that were true.

"O...kay. Meet me here at one, I'll send you the address."

Seeing as he didn't comment on her little slip she breathed out in relief and smiled. "Alright, then I'll see you in a few hours Karma," she brought the mug to her lips taking a sip of the warm coffee.

"See ya," the phone clicked, he had hung up, leaving Megaru with merely a few seconds of tranquillity before she put her mug down and slowly slid down to the floor. Her legs quivered and she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Aha... Ha..." She laughed awkwardly at herself, gently beating her clenched fists against the cupboard door.

"I am such an idiot."

If she didn't get a move on she wouldn't get to the cemetery in time…

The wind blew eerily, carrying fresh leaves from trees and guiding them through the air. The smell of dying flowers and mourning would've been intoxicating for her had she not visited this place at least once a year. The concrete pathway was covered in a blanket of dirt, and as she navigated she watched the solemn faces of those here to honor the dead with sympathy, the familiar looks of denial, the lack of closure, she knew them all too well. But it had been years since her mother's departure from the land of the living, her time of grief had long since passed, whenever she came here now was to remind herself that her mother was still here in her heart.

Megaru walked in silence, listening to the calls of birds and inhaling the delicate smell of morning dew. She'd think to herself as she traversed under the canopy of slouching trees, she always imagined them bowing their ancient heads in respect. The thought helped her ignore the overbearing feeling of sadness this place gave off. Which was to be expected, she was in a graveyard after all. The young woman grasped the bouquet of flowers tightly in her hand, she ignored the feeling of thorns prodding her skin through the paper; yellow roses had always been her favorite, but finding them was a hassle, so she'd try her best each year to get her some. That was always the hardest part of her annual visit, feeling guilty when she couldn't get hold of the roses her mother adored.

The distant sound of sobbing made her pause, her steps halted and slowly Megaru turned to see a small child crying, her tiny hand enclosed by a larger one, belonging to the man that stood beside her in all black, his head hung low as the breeze gave his halo of golden blonde hair a breath of life, they stood in front of a relatively small headstone, the marble had been craved delicately into an arch with unique detailing and neatly written words of praise engraved into the front. From over the girl's head, she noticed the picture of a young woman, not much older than her, with a beautiful smile and black hair framing her face. Normally Megaru left others be, but the child's cries for her mother made her heart ache. She took a step towards the pair, gently tapping the girl's shoulder.

"It's okay, she's still with you." The words came out on their own, the man turned to face her, his eyes red from tears, not for the woman beneath their feet, but for the little girl, he couldn't bring her mother back after all.

Seeing the little girl's distraught face made her chest tight, but regardless she crouched down to her height and reached into the bouquet, carefully pulling a single rose from the bundle, she stripped it of its thorns before she held it out to the girl.

"She'll never leave you, if you keep her in your heart she'll never disappear." She said softly, watching as the girl looked up at her father, then took the rose.

"But if you cry, she'll feel bad, she didn't want to make you sad, so you have to smile and stay positive for her, okay?"

The silence wasn't a surprise to her, but the nod she received and the ceased flow of tears made her smile softly, she stood dusting off her dress and giving a sympathetic nod to the child's father. "I'm... sorry for your loss." She said, only loud enough for him to hear, it was the last thing she said before she stepped away from them and continued her stroll up towards her mother's resting place.

Her mother's grave was a lot more elaborate than she wished, her father had said she deserved to rest like a queen, but her mother had never been the type of person who felt happiness based on money or appearances, the large, almost tomb-like grave felt... Unnatural for the gentle, selfless woman her mother had been. Still, that never put her off visiting. Megaru crouched down, gently removing the dead roses from the small pot her father had paid for to replace them with the fresh ones. She unwrapped the fluorescent colored flowers and set the paper aside for the moment, she neatly arranged the bouquet until she found them appealing, then wrapped the paper around the old flowers. Then she became to neaten up her mother's grave, getting rid of any leaves that may have fallen into the dark stone and making sure everything was clean. Her eyes often wondered to the words engraved on the headstone, her fingers moved to trace the etched words. 'Ayumi Yamaguchi, 19XX-20XX, a beloved mother, sister, daughter, and wife. An angel amongst saints.'

Megaru sighed, stepping back to observe her work. She wondered when her father came here last, perhaps he was too busy. She wouldn't hold it against him, everything she had was thanks to his teachings and advice, her intelligence, her skills at management and balancing tasks, getting jobs done to her own standard of perfection. He had taught her all that after all. But she hadn't spoken to him since before her shop opened. He never seemed to check up on her. They drifted apart after her mother's death.

She shook her head, closing her eyes and placing her hands together to mutter a prayer, what she said was swallowed by the wind, her whisper too soft even for her own ears, even if she knew what she'd said.

"Everything's going well mother. The coffee shop isn't mainstream, but loads of people have been... supporting me by visiting. Has anyone else come to see you? I hope so…I'd never forgiven them if they'd forgotten about you."

She never spent too long here, she disliked her distracted she'd get, wondering about the lives of other family members when she should be honoring her mother's life and memory. She dug her nails into the paper she held. She should leave. The longer she spent staring at the grave her mother shouldn't be under, the more she began to grow angry at her family. She hated that, she didn't know what they did after all.

Megaru looked up, her eyes darkening as she glanced around. A strange tangling feeling engulfed her heart and she felt her blood run cold. What looked like a shadowy figure lingered between two trees a few meters behind her, she froze, then blinked and once her eyes were open the figure was gone. The space it had occupied was…. Empty. The feeling of fear rose in her chest, but she only clutched her arm and denied the possibility of someone just vanishing like that. After glancing back down at the grave and the work she'd done she nodded. This should be fine, she had thought, this should be fine but I need to get going. She glanced at the time on her phone and swallowed, her breath drawing inwards, ah, right. She had to meet up with Karma. Right.

"I need to go. I'm sorry I don't spend long here, but, you know… I miss you."

She swallowed, shaking her head and stepping back, she was probably dreaming. That's what she'd believe…

Several hours had passed since she left the cemetery, the walk back to the city had been rushed and panicked, but she managed not to do anything stupid. She'd taken a longer route and went to a different station, yes it ate away at the time but it was the safe thing to do. She still had time to spare.

A yawn left her lips, Megaru strolled along the street, a rather melancholy look on her youthful face. Her eyes remained forward, focusing on the pavement. Perhaps she should've declined Karma's invitation, it wouldn't be unreasonable if she'd explained why. Today usually was an emotional day for the young woman and she might've been able to tell him, but the lure of his voice seemed to compel her to accept the invite out for lunch.

Her mind flickered back and forth, buzzing between the little girl she'd seen this morning and the tidied grave under which her mother rested, she reminded her so much of her younger self, when her mother first died, the words she'd spoken were ones a sympathetic stranger had also given her, part of her never believed them, she thought about the person who may have been watching her and the chill that still ran through her body even now, how was she supposed to enjoy her time with Karma if she was stuck worrying about something that may or may not have been there?

She felt melancholy, not happy, and not sad, that bubbly warmth from this morning had faded, but the unbearable sadness she sometimes battled didn't seem to be clawing at her. She hated that. Oh well, she thought, turns out she was already there.

The building she now stood in front of was small, probably around the same size as her coffee shop. The glass revealed a neat interior, the walls painted gainsboro* and silver, the plants were decorated with little fairy lights, small orbs that glittered even in the afternoon sun. Fake ivy framed the doorway and from the side, a canopy outstretched over the pavement, under which sets of cedar tables and chairs waited for their next occupants.

There was a certain aura of sophistication that almost radiated off the place and she felt a little… underdressed. Sure she looked nice but, did she really fit in a place like that? She wasn't too sure.

"You just gonna stand out here?"

She jumped, looking over her shoulder and up towards to the familiar face, whose lips were pulled into a half smile.

Karma; he stood dressed in a dark red blazer and a pair of black pants, the top two buttons of his white shirt were undone and his hair was slicked to the side once more, still framing his face neatly.

She smiled awkwardly and turned to face him.

"Karma... well, no but I didn't want to go in and you weren't there."

He leaned down a little, observing her quietly, she stared into his mercury eyes, then looked away, a little flushed.

"You look cute."

She blinked, then looked up and laughed, scratching her cheek bashfully. "Thank you," another silence, one that was only weird for her, just like this morning. Karma found her behavior rather adorable but didn't say anything as he smiled and held his arm out. Megaru stared for a second, then caught herself and linked her arm with his. They walked into the petit café together and she was surprised to hear the doorkeeper call him "Mr. Akabane."

"Do you come here often?" She asked him as they were led to a table by the window. The interior was beautiful, like a forest of lights, and when they reached where they'd be sitting she couldn't help but look around, then sit down is a fluster after Karma pulled her seat out for her.

"I do, usually for lunch, if I can." He answered honestly, sitting down and leaning on his palm, seems he'd never lost that habit. The brunette gazed at him for a second, then looked out through the large glass panel they sat beside. The streets around here weren't as bustling as near where she lived.

"It's beautiful."

"Mhm, which I why I wanted to bring you here."

There was a pause.

"Although I like your shortbread more."

She blushed a little more than she would've liked. She would've been happier if she didn't notice that figure once again.

Her throat felt dry, she wasn't sure what to think, and she wondered if she should tell Karma, but she figured it wouldn't do any good. Instead, she kept her eyes on him, the sunlight caused the strands of his hair to glisten.

Megaru tried to concentrate on him, his voice, his eyes, anything that'd stop her from worrying, but her eyes would naturally avert to the shadowy figure, the fear of being followed by a stranger, who may have bad intentions made her tense. Obviously, Karma noticed.

"What's wrong? You look uncomfortable." He said, a small hint of concern present in his tone.

"Oh," she began, smiling a little to reassure him. "Nothing."

If only that were true.

.

.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Hi guys, sorry this took nearly a month to update. But I've started school again for the year and it's honestly drained me of so much free time ^^;;_

 _Of course, that **doesn't** mean this is going on hiatus, it simply means chapters may be longer and thus take longer to update so I can get as much plot forward without damaging my current schedule, currently, I'm writing at approximately 500 words per week while balancing essays and coursework, so that's why it's taken so long, I am however starting to write chapter minutes after one is posted._

 _I hope you guys will support me as I improve my writing style and learn more techniques._

 _Thank you for reading and I shall see you next update._

 _\- Mona_


	3. Chapter 3

Karma wasn't paying attention, his eyes focused on the view beyond the window instead of the young woman trying to make love to him. Her hands didn't ignite any sort of spark, her eyes were full of need it wasn't attractive in the slightest, not even the friction of their hips made him excited. His partner, a French girl with bright blonde hair, seemed a little annoyed, her efforts were being wasted. With a huff, she pushed him down against the silk sheets of his bed and finally his mercury eyes were focused on her.

"What's your problem?" She spoke, her voice just louder than a whisper, the light was dimming, and sunset sent orange and pink streaks of light into the sky, dying it delicate shades peach and magenta. The lavish room sat on the top floor of Karma home, overlooking the city from a hill.

Karma raised an eyebrow, disinterest present on his face, but he didn't say anything and his eye only closed, which merely vexed her more,

"Karma!" She ground out, the name being spat out like poison. He sat up quickly, surprising her, his hands gripped her waist and for a moment a flicker of hope appeared in her eyes, perhaps he was finally going to do something.

"Verna," He started, one hand moving to push his bangs back, his hair a little damp from a shower. " _n'élèves pas ta voix face à moi._ " His tone was lethal, but his face remained as calm as before. The blonde swallowed, blinking a little.

"I-I'm sorry but I," Her Japanese was rather clear for someone with an accent thicker than blood. She yelped as he dumped her to the side, dropping her against the bed. He stood, pulling his boxers back on, he wasn't in the right mind-set for meaningless sex. He stood, staring out towards the city, after a moment he turned to her.

"Leave."

"W-Wait- Karma, I," She stammered, Verna pulled his sheets closer to hide her naked body.

"I'm not mad, I'm just not in the mood, go buy yourself a drink." He said, waving dismissively.

Her face bent in confusion, with another huff she rose, keeping the sheets firmly against her body. "Karma what's gotten into you? You've been so distracted lately, is it because of-"

"Don't." Karma simply shook his head, "you shouldn't act like a jealous girlfriend when we both know there isn't anything between us." His words were harsh, but he'd rather not get lectured by his partner.

"You know exactly why I'm acting this way." Verna pulled her dress over her head, the black material fitting her body delicately. She strolled towards him standing to his right, only now could the intricate tattoo on her back be seen. The detailing depicted several rare flowers and a dragon-like creature or demonic entity resting upon them with the presence of flames and something akin to a golden goblet. The brand of the Akabane Yakuza. "I get you want to keep a close eye on her, for whatever reason you have for wanting to protect the enemy, but a **_date_**? Really Karma? You expected your father not to get suspicious about you **_asking_** the Yamaguchi girl out?"

Karma turned sharply and she froze. His mercury eyes lit up and his lips pulled back into a short snarl. "My father was stupid thinking I wouldn't notice his lackeys hovering about, what is he trying to pull? She doesn't know obviously, about all this, about what her father does, I'd rather keep it that way."

"You're just raising the possibility of her getting caught in the crossfire-" Verna inched back, he had risen his hand as if to strike her but then stopped. Karma exhaled deeply and ran his hair back. "I'm sorry I-"

"Stop apologizing and just go, I need to talk to the old man anyway."

She sighed, but in a matter of minutes, she was gone.

Karma waited until the door clicked shut, then he took a seat in the spacious armchair to his left. He reached over to the small round table beside it and picked up his phone. His fingerprint unlocked it and a message from Megaru lit up the screen. Seeing her face made the tense male relax a little, but not enough to ease him back into a good mood. Not when the reality of her situation hovered over him. It was almost funny; she had no idea the kinds of money people would pay to have her head served to them on a silver platter.

He replied, then took a moment to breathe in and out, relaxing just enough to prepare himself for the mental exhaustion he'd feel after dealing with his father. Part of him preferred when the man was too busy with his criminal business to bother Karma during his childhood. His eyes fell back on the picture, they had taken that hours ago. She looked happy.

"I suppose if I want to keep that smile I'm going to have to do some extra work."

That was fine. He'd do what he needed to.

Megaru hadn't slept well that night. The burning sensation of being watched was choking the poor woman. She at first thought it was just nerves, cemeteries weren't usually the happiest of places and she was prone to nerves on dates. So it seemed just like she _was_ in fact seeing things. It would've been nice if that was the case.

It was around two in the morning when she heard the first steps outside her door. Naturally she remained silent for a few seconds, letting the steps past and listening out for the creaks of the floorboards. She knows exactly which ones creaked.

"Find her and kill her if she resists."  
Those words gave her courage to move, she threw her duvet off and crouched silently, feeling around under her bed for her baseball bat, a gift given to her by a friend at university. "You'll never know when it'll come in handy.", her words had been.

She whispered thanks. Rising to her feet Megaru watched her door, no movement. Was that a good thing? She didn't know. The brunette swallowed, calming herself down and stepping carefully until she reached the door. Her breathing halted, she hesitated to turn the handle, and that gap in time caused her to realize her mistake, the door flew open just as she hastily pressed herself against the wall. She readied the bat, the figure who stepped in looked male, she could just about make out blonde hair in the dimness of her room, his body was dressed in black and his breath was silent, much like hers.

The floorboard he stepped on creaked and she slammed the bat against the back of his head. She didn't waste anytime, she shut the door, wedging it with her mirror before she headed for her window.

As quietly as she could she slid it open and slipped through, thank god she was only on the second floor. Below her was a large dumpster, the hood was open and it was filled to the brim with trash bags. Holding her nose she leapt from her window ad the door was effortlessly kicked in. She barely missed the gun fire and went about bracing herself as she landed amongst the trash.

It stunk, and no doubt she now stank but she pushed herself up and vaulted over and out of the bin. As gentle as she was, Megaru was once a student of Class 3-E, she was once assigned to kill her teacher. And a long time ago her class succeeded. She wouldn't let herself be taken so easily.

She crept through the back alleys, climbing the gate that lead to the bins from the main road. She could just make out faint shouts of frustration, but she kept her head down and ignored all but those closest to her. The lights from the building's main halls revealed the number of armed men and women that would've been waiting for her if she had tried to exit through the front door.

Once out in the open Megaru didn't hesitate whenever she saw anything shady, the black van parked outside the building was one and she was quick to avoid being spotted. She ran along the street, wincing as stones impaled the frail skin on the bottom of her feet. Overhead street lamps lit her path and she moved as quick as she could, she wasn't sure where she should go. Her father's home was much to far to walk and she'd left her money back in her bedroom, which was no doubt being ransacked at this very moment. Megaru took a break once she could no longer see the van or here any shouting. She used this time to catch her breath and reevaluate her situation.

 _Two in the morning. An unknown number of intruders enter her room. She incapacitates one thanks to her skills from Junior High and her usually spot in reflexes. She escapes through the window before she is found and now she's left alone in the cold dark night in her pajamas with very little options on where to go._

Megaru ran a hand through her hair, she looked around, nobody seems to be out. Sluggishly she leans on the wall of someone's front garden, to her left is an alley and to her right is the street.

Her reflexes fail. She almost screamed as she was grabbed from behind, but a soft hand slammed against her mouth, negating the volume to a mere muffle.

She froze, instinctive ready to fight if she had to but then someone spoke.

"Shh, don't scream, don't move, I'm not gonna hurt you—"

Her eyes widen and she looks behind her.

Soft blue eyes meet hers and strands of shimmering cyan hair fill her with a sense of relief so strong she nearly breaks down. The person moves their hand away once she seems calm enough.

 _"Nagisa.._ _what the fuck is going on?_ "


End file.
